Governors McAuliffe, Tomblin, McCrory provide bipartisan support for Atlantic Coast Pipeline

By Lynn R. Mitchell

In a press conference Tuesday at the state capitol in Richmond, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) went against some in his own party when he enthusiastically expressed support for a proposed 550-mile long natural gas pipeline that would stretch from West Virginia through Virginia and to North Carolina. Approximately 44 miles of the pipeline will cross Augusta County.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline, McAuliffe noted, would increase consumer access to natural gas while keeping energy costs down. The $5 billion pipeline would be a joint effort by Dominion Resources, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, and AGL Resources, and would provide thousands of jobs and affordable energy.

The project also has support from West Virginia Democratic Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and North Carolina Republican Governor Pat McCrory. Governor McAuliffe was joined by Republican Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Bill Howell as well as a number of elected officials from both sides of the aisle making this project a bipartisan effort (see Business community, elected officials support Atlantic Coast Pipeline).

Perhaps expecting an outcry from the environmental left, Governor McAuliffe noted in his Tuesday remarks, “This will allow Dominion, who has coal plants that are 50, 60 years old, which they plan on shutting down — this is a lot less emissions. So what we’re doing today is great for the environment. . . . This is a win-win today for everybody.”

It didn’t silence environmentalists but labor was happy with Virginia AFL-CIO President Doris Crouse-Mays backing the initiative for providing jobs and stimulating the economy.

Benefits to the Commonwealth have been estimated to be $14 million in tax revenue from the pipeline.

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See also Special Issue: LynnRMitchell.com writers, guests discuss Atlantic Coast Pipeline:

• Atlantic Coast Pipeline: Better ways to the same end by Supervisor Tracy Pyles
• Dominion, environmentalists, and pipeline hypocrisy by Joel Salatin
• Augusta County: Too valuable and vulnerable for this pipeline? by former Supervisor Nancy Sorrells
• Dominion’s Growth – What, Why, How, and Controlling Features by Calvin Lucy
• The Dominion Pipeline Maze by Kurt Michael
• Schedule for 2015 Dominion Atlantic Coast Pipeline open houses from Dominion
• Myths & facts about Atlantic Coast Pipeline from Dominion
• Dominion Virginia Power pipeline in Augusta County by Supervisor David Karaffa
• Augusta County residents organize against pipeline by Supervisor David Karaffa

Previous articles on the pipeline:

• What if Dominion Virginia Power ran high speed internet with Atlantic Coast Pipeline? by Lynn R. Mitchell
• Governors McAuliffe, Tomblin, McCrory provide bipartisan support for Atlantic Coast Pipeline by Lynn R. Mitchell
• Business community, public officials support Atlantic Coast Pipeline by Lynn R. Mitchell
• Augusta supervisors deliver resolution asking for more info, Dominion says 75% of landowners in pipeline path agree to surveying  by Lynn R. Mitchell

Cross-posted